S* S$ |( s; P- j) g6 a- F中国和梵蒂冈在主教任命等问题上存在分歧，双方至今未建立外交关系。 4 I2 U5 v* @ Z) i " |2 q/ z7 I: g* gChina detains three underground priests, group says * s! \) I4 s$ J/ f( w; Z- SSun Jul 29, 2007 1 V. L2 q& V6 q4 Z: H! R
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BEIJING (Reuters) - China detained three "underground" Catholic priests unwilling to serve a state-controlled body, a U.S. group has reported, as Beijing and the Vatican press their claims on religious controls.* X. u2 j+ y7 O8 _% Z8 a
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The three men were caught by police in north China's Inner Mongolia region, having fled there from neighboring Hebei province, the Cardinal Kung Foundation said in a statement emailed late on Saturday.% _2 t, \+ r, V$ Y% d" r3 @2 `: R
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The detentions came as the Vatican and Beijing test their boundaries of authority following a letter on China's Catholics from Pope Benedict. 7 h' Y2 F- I! e- ~! w% e- I 8 `: q! N! L: o) E, yChina's 12 million Catholics share the same basic religious beliefs but are politically divided between "above-ground" churches approved by the ruling Communist Party and "underground" churches that reject government ties.; i2 h2 N; @5 L( y T6 @: |
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On June 30, Pope Benedict issued a letter that urged reconciliation between the two sides. But he said the church must have the power to run its own affairs, including appointing bishops, possibly with government consultation. + D7 D. H4 @5 `8 \ , b* E6 E! E4 G9 p' H4 HThe Chinese government has often rejected such claims as interference in "domestic affairs" but has given no detailed public response to the letter.. x n, z8 R$ I/ P, `8 h( _! |$ V. ?
! B" Q" X8 T" d. n8 YParts of Hebei, the priests' home province, are a stronghold of "underground" churches. $ T, [4 A5 d! J! }$ i. `7 w. ` 1 D/ R: A" J' s. G$ s+ hThe Cardinal Kung Foundation said the three had refused to join the Catholic Patriotic Association, the state-controlled body that seeks to control church affairs.0 v" _+ [- M6 K( p6 N
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Plain clothes police detained the priests -- Liang Aijun, Wang Zhong and Gao Jinbao -- on July 24 and they have been transferred to an unknown location, the Foundation said.5 Y2 [. j1 i- U! o+ Y. ]5 B. X
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"They'd been hiding for quite a while when they were hunted down," the head of the Foundation, Joseph Kung, told Reuters by phone. 7 C0 \& j" H- _0 O& G" i ( I8 Q. P4 F# D1 c$ Q% J3 OKung said he did not know if the men have been charged. Another underground priest, Cui Tai, had been detained in Hebei following a minor motorbike accident, he said. 9 [* M! b. V1 l! w! m( h" p! o; O1 {5 i& P% i1 V2 ~
Sometimes "underground" clergy are released after days or weeks; sometimes they are held for much longer. ( S L2 x. y) L1 Z- J1 Z : q" r% ^" K) c6 R* J! \The Vatican is waiting to see how China handles the appointment of a new bishop for Beijing, the country's most prominent diocese. # A5 p) h& o( }! H V9 a" H; e1 a ! z L' J7 ~& x% f3 r- TRome has said a nominee proposed by the state-registered diocese, Father Li Shan, could be acceptable and has urged him to seek papal approval. * D! x3 o5 J2 k- y) Z$ n n+ a( R; f! i/ k% @: f$ N2 DBut an editorial in a Beijing newspaper on Friday said China rejects the Vatican's demand that it stop appointing bishops without papal approval.0 K1 G2 L9 i2 e; D% @' @% U5 T
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These days, most state-approved bishops have also won Vatican blessing. The Vatican has not had diplomatic ties with Beijing since 1951 and instead recognizes Taiwan, the self-ruled island that China regards as an illegitimate breakaway.
